Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/168

 souls,” Ecclus ii. 20 ; “The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord. . . For he that is without fear cannot be justified,” Ecclus. xxv. 25-28. Discretion and honest conversation comes to us by knowledge, for it is by knowledge that man knows what is due to God, to his neighbour, and to himself. God teaches us this knowledge, having weaned us from milk, and drawn us from the breasts of pleasures and desires. Isaiah asks by the Holy Spirit, the Lord, saying, “Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine?” And then He answers, “ Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts,” Isa. xxviii. 9. It is wonderful when man finds bitterness and tormenting pain in these breasts that he does not separate from them. As S. Augustine says, “ Oh, Lord, Thou hast mingled my delights with bitterness that I might seek to live without bitterness. You, O man, if you wish to be taught by the Lord, separate yourself from these breasts, because it is said, 'Wisdom shall not enter into a malicious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins,' Wis. i. 4.” And by wisdom the love of God enters into the soul; whence S. Bernard says, “ Since a man can learn what he wishes, he cannot learn wisdom while he neither fears nor loves God.”

IV. On the fourth head it is to be noted, that these spiritual riches are to be sought for three reasons. (1) On account of their immensity : “ For she is an infinite treasure to men ! which they that use become the friends of God.” “ For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom,” Wis. vii. 14, 28. “ She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her,” Prov. iii. 15. Gloss.: It is preferred not only before earthly, but also before celestial, riches ; and charity, lastly, is preferred in the very sight itself of the angels, so that none need be fearful of poverty who have acquired the riches of wisdom. (2) On account of their profit: “ The ransom of a man’s life are his riches; but the poor heareth not rebuke,” Prov. xiii. 8. “ Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,” S. Matt. xxv. 41. Or he does not sustain, Gloss. He who wishes to redeem his soul from future wrath gathers together the riches of good works; for if he lacks these, he will not be able to sustain rebuke at the day of judgment. The poor shall not be rebuked, but they shall partake of the blessing of the inheritance. (3) On